The Australian Government is committed to reducing violence in the Australian community, including family and sexual violence. As part of this commitment, you are required to disclose criminal convictions you have had and/or charges awaiting legal action. You must also give the department permission to disclose any or all of your convictions to the visa applicant(s).

The department may ask you to provide one or both of the following:

  • an Australian National Police Check (NPC) for the Sponsor; and/or
  • a foreign police check(s) for every country in which you have lived for a period of 12 months or a total period of at least 12 months since the latest of the following dates
    • 10 years before the date of the request to provide the police check(s); or
    • the date you turned 16.

The department may refuse the visa application if:

  • you do not provide the required police checks to the department within a reasonable time; or
  • you have been convicted of a relevant offence/offences (listed later in this form) and you have a significant criminal record in relation to these relevant offences.

The visa application must be refused if you do not give permission to the department to disclose your relevant offence/offences to the visa applicant(s).

Note: The requirements above only apply if the visa application was lodged on or after 18 November 2016. If the visa application was lodged before 18 November 2016, the requirements above do not apply to you, even if you submitted your Sponsorship form on or after 18 November 2016.

If you need immigration advise or assistance, please call 1300 10 50 50 or contact our consultants.  You may also book an online appointment with our Lawyers or Migration Agents.

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